“$80 to $8500? Why such a huge window?” Don’t worry. The team at iMoving has matched out prices for thousands of moves across the country, of all shapes and sizes.
In this article, we’ll show you how much you can expect to spend, and you’ll learn what goes into the price of your big move.
Moving an apartment can cost from $80 to $8000, but that’s a big ballpark. Your final price depends on a few important factors, notably how much you’ll be transporting, and how far everything has to travel.
In the world of moving, there are two main types you’ll encounter: Long-distance moves, and local moves. Long distance movers and local movers all have their own playbooks, including where they can operate, how far they can go, and how they’ll bill their customers.
Whether it’s across town or across the country, it can be tough to find the right moving company. Fortunately, iMoving makes it easier than ever. We’ve got over 1,000 vetted and verified movers in our network, and you can shop, compare prices, and book without leaving the comfort of your web browser.
But enough about us. Let’s take our first stop on our pricing adventure. Read on, and see how much it’ll cost to move local.
If you’re just moving your apartment across town, it’ll cost you about $80 per mover, per hour. Since you’ll need two movers per room (and they’ll need more than just one hour), $278 - $599 is a more realistic estimate for a studio apartment.
What counts as a local move? Anything under 100 miles, and within the same state. These moves may be short distances, but they can still take a few hours.
Fortunately, local movers really know their way around their home turf, and if you’ve got a quality team, they’ll know all the sneaky side streets they can take to cut down on time and money spent.
Since local movers charge per mover and per hour, this means your final price depends on how long it takes them to load and transport the truck - and how many movers you’ll need to handle all your stuff.
If your apartment is a one-bedroom or two-bedroom, it may be pricier. Check out this table and see how much you should save up:
Choose Item
How Many Movers?:2 Movers
How Many Hours?:2 - 4 Hours
Average Hourly Rate:$80 / hr
Average Final Price:$80 / hr
How Many Movers?:2 Movers
How Many Hours?:3 - 6 Hours
Average Hourly Rate:$80 / hr
Average Final Price:$80 / hr
How Many Movers?:3 Movers
How Many Hours?:4 - 8 Hours
Average Hourly Rate:$125 / hr
Average Final Price:$125 / hr
How Many Movers?:4 Movers
How Many Hours?:6 - 12 Hours
Average Hourly Rate:$165 / hr
Average Final Price:$165 / hr
Want to save as much as possible? The best thing you can do for your wallet is to downsize. Ger rid of all of your unwanted, unused, or worn-out items before you shop for a quote. If you don’t want it, don’t pay to move it.
(You can also fast-forward to our section on tips for a cheaper and easier relocation. We’ll show you a few more of our favorite money-saving tricks for apartment moving.)
If you’re moving farther than 100 miles or across state lines, it’ll cost you between $1000 and $8000. Much like a local move, whether you spend a lot or a little comes down to how much you’re hauling, and how far you’re going.
Long-distance movers charge based on the physical size of your move, and the miles between point A and point B. Some moving companies will assign a weight value to all your stuff, and others will use cubic feet instead.
Unless you’re the Collyer brothers, (look ‘em up) you probably won’t have too much crammed into your studio. But if you’ve got a 2 or 3-bedroom apartment, you’ll have to pay extra for all that extra stuff. Here’s a table that breaks it all down:
Choose Item
1-Bedroom:$1000 - $1500
2-3 Bedroom:$1250 - $1700
1-Bedroom:$1200 - $2000
2-3 Bedroom:$1500 - $3500
1-Bedroom:$1400 - $2900
2-3 Bedroom:$2100 - $6900
1-Bedroom:$1800 - $3700
2-3 Bedroom:$3900 - $8000
More boxes, more miles, more money. It’s a pretty simple equation. But aside from the size and distance, there are actually plenty of other factors that can affect the price of your move…
When you’re working with the pros, there’s plenty of helpful add-ons you can throw in to make your apartment move a little easier. There’s also a few fees to keep in mind.
Packing is one of the most annoying and time-consuming parts of a relocation. If you really want to save some cash, you can do it yourself.
But if you really want to save your sanity, you’ll shell out a little extra for packing services, instead. Your apartment movers can handle every box, bedroom, and packing peanut.
Look, we’re not gonna judge you if you need a storage unit when you’re just moving apartments. Some people end up with a lot more stuff than they can fit into a studio or a one-bedroom.
Besides, storage units can actually give you a lot of extra flexibility if you don’t want to rush through your unloading and unpacking.
If you’re not up for an impromptu road trip, you can pay a little extra for car transport as well. This is especially useful if you have more than one car, since (unless you know someone you really trust) odds are you can’t get your whole stable transported in one trip. Car transporters also offer covered trailers for those high-end exotics.
Does your apartment building have elevators, extra flights of stairs, or extra-long hallways? Next time you head out for groceries, work, or whatever, take mental notes of all the steps you have to take to get out of your apartment and onto the street.
These steps are all going to be obstacles for your movers, and they’ll charge you accordingly. Communicate with your apartment movers ahead of time - it may not save you money, but it’ll save you the surprise.
When you’re moving your apartment, your movers will most likely use one of those big ol’ semi trucks to haul everything. Unfortunately, most cities don’t like big ol’ semi trucks parking on their teeny tiny little streets.
In these cases, your movers will park the big rig at a staging area, and use a smaller shuttle truck to carry all your belongings from the main truck to your new place. It’s not cheap, it’s not convenient, but it’s out of your hands. Blame city council.
It’s rare, but it happens. If anything gets damaged or lost in transport, it’s nice to have a safety net. Movers offer basic coverage, but it’s only good for $0.60 per pound.
If you want to be reimbursed the full value of your items, you’ll have to pay extra for full coverage insurance. Call up your renters insurance provider, because there’s a chance your move is already covered!
Moving is tough work. This isn’t turning an iPad around at a cafe; it’s heavy lifting, lots of packing, and long-haul trucking. Set aside a gratuity to be split up across your whole moving team. 15% to 20% is a good figure.
The cheapest way to move is to rent a truck and DIY the whole thing. But is it the most COST-EFFECTIVE way to move? That’s a different story.
On paper, a complete DIY job looks like it’ll cost less. But when you factor in the price of a truck rental, the price of gas, and the price of food and lodging, the math looks a little different. And if you have to take time off from work to move your apartment? Then you’ll be skipping out on some much-needed paychecks, too.
A DIY move can be fun. You can call it a road trip, make some stops along the way, and take in all the sights between point A and point B. But don’t call it cheaper, unless you’re seriously okay with skipping meals, sleeping in the truck, and somehow working while you drive.
Pro-tip: If you’re looking for a cost-effective middle ground between DIY and full-service movers, check out moving containers. They’re like portable storage units you can load yourself - and when you’re ready to move, the container company will pick up the unit, and take it to your destination.
We’re all about convenience, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank on a moving day. If you want to move right, here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for saving money and making life a little easier:
You’ve made it to the end! Thanks for sticking with us. Hopefully, by now you have a better idea of how much you should save up before your big move - and hopefully, you’ve learned a thing or two about how to make your move cheaper, easier, and more efficient.
Speaking of making your move easy, have you thought about who’ll be doing the heavy lifting?
There are a lot of moving companies out there, but iMoving is the best place to find them. Our marketplace has over 1000 apartment movers, and they’re all vetted and verified by our research department. You can shop, compare prices, and book your movers without leaving your laptop or phone. Just tell us more about your move, and let’s get you packed up!
As a general rule of thumb, your movers won’t transport anything that will damage their truck. Flammable stuff? Nah. Pressurized containers? Nope. Perishables, plants, and people? No, no, and no.
You’ll have to transport that stuff yourself. Every mover has their own no-go list, so to be extra sure, get in touch with your moving company ahead of time to see if they have any extra restrictions.
Yes, moving during weekdays is typically cheaper than weekends due to lower demand. Movers are often more available and may offer discounts for weekday moves.
To reduce costs, declutter before moving, pack your items yourself, and compare quotes from different movers. Scheduling your move during off-peak times can also lead to savings.
Yes, many movers charge extra for stairs or long carry distances, as these add time and effort to the move. Be sure to discuss these details with your mover to avoid surprises.
A full-service move typically includes packing, loading, transporting, unloading, and unpacking your items. Some movers also offer additional services like furniture assembly and disassembly.
Yes, some movers offer discounts for local, quick moves. It’s always worth asking your mover if they provide any deals or reduced rates for shorter distances or faster jobs.
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